Tales of Father’s Day can be traced to the 14^th  Century or even as far back as Babylon, however the celebrations that we have been accustomed to today can be attributed to Sonora Smart Dodd who as a child was raised, along with 5 siblings, by a single father. She loved her dad and after hearing of Mother’s Day she began a campaign to celebrate Fathers.  This was in 1910.  There was a lot going on during that time – a couple of world wars, the great depression – and the holiday faded. However Father’s Day was never forgotten and was officially recognized in 1972! 

The most popular gift over time, continues to be the necktie.  The modern era of ties really took off in the 20’s and a man would have been judged by the quality of tie he wore and silk was a must have even through the 30’s. But the 40’s brought war time and silk was nearly impossible to find, so Rayon and wool became the go to fabrics.  If you still have a tie from the 50’s it could be quite collectible now. The designs were often hand painted. The age of Flower Power, the 60’s, brought in the super skinny tie.  At only 2” wide, it was less than half width of previous generation. The 70’s threw away the flowers, threw away the skinny, and brought in wide ties and colours referred to as earth tones – mustard or sage. Oh the 70’s!

Today buying a tie is not based solely on trends, but rather on composing a full, coordinating outfit.

1. Your tie needs to match the size of your jacket lapel. Too narrow or wide and you will look off balance.
2. Silk is great at retaining its shape, it sits well on your outfit and stays fairly clean. Cashmere has a matte finish and is easy to dress down. Cotton is very versatile. It comes in many different shapes and designs.
3. Did you know that a tie is made up of 3 connected parts? The blade is the wide end. The tail is the thinner back side, and the gusset is what you place around the neck.  Be sure you choose a tie that clearly contains these parts.
4. A tie should not twist on its own. It should lay flat and even when dangled, a well-constructed tie will maintain it’s lines.

Visit Tyner-Shorten Clothiers and we can help you select a tie from our Robert Talbott collection or our own Tyner-Shorten Clothiers label.  We also have gift certificates available – let dad choose!

A tie, a polo or cologne – all are wonderful gifts to remind dad you are thinking of him.

Thank you dad for games of backyard ball and the life lessons over a wrench. Thank you for your patience while I learned to drive and when the car came home with a dent. Thank you for always supporting my dreams and thank you for now doing all of that for my kids.

Thank you today and every day.

Happy Father’s Day to all our dads and granddads, both near and far.